Nicholas Xenakis | Official Profile on The Marque

Nicholas’ Biography

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Nick Xenakis is a lawyer and policy expert on Congress, national security, technology, immigration and criminal justice. He uses his expertise to advise clients as Special Counsel at Covington & Burling, a top ranked law firm. He previously served as General Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats and Chief Counsel to US Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Immediately before joining Covington, Nick served as Chief Counsel to Senator Feinstein as well as Staff Director of the Human Rights and the Law Subcommittee. In those roles, he was responsible for overseeing the subcommittee's activities as well as managing Senator Feinstein's Judiciary staff. His significant contributions include advising the Senator on issues related to nominations, legislation and oversight.

As General Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, Nick participated in the confirmation hearings of two Supreme Court Justices and an Attorney General, as well as legislation addressing appropriations, COVID-19 relief packages and the National Defense Authorization Act. His broad knowledge of public... Nick Xenakis is a lawyer and policy expert on Congress, national security, technology, immigration and criminal justice. He uses his expertise to advise clients as Special Counsel at Covington & Burling, a top ranked law firm. He previously served as General Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats and Chief Counsel to US Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Immediately before joining Covington, Nick served as Chief Counsel to Senator Feinstein as well as Staff Director of the Human Rights and the Law Subcommittee. In those roles, he was responsible for overseeing the subcommittee's activities as well as managing Senator Feinstein's Judiciary staff. His significant contributions include advising the Senator on issues related to nominations, legislation and oversight.

As General Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, Nick participated in the confirmation hearings of two Supreme Court Justices and an Attorney General, as well as legislation addressing appropriations, COVID-19 relief packages and the National Defense Authorization Act. His broad knowledge of public policy and the law has given Nick the expertise to advise the country’s leaders and other prominent figures.

As part of Covington’s public policy team, Nick continues to utilize his unique skillset to offer legal and regulatory guidance to corporate clients, with a focus on antitrust, transactional matters and intellectual property, among other US policy concerns.

He started his career as an attorney at the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, where Nick assisted indigent clients faced with felony, misdemeanor and capital offenses at all levels of litigation. He also clerked for Judge Robert King on the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Nick holds a BA from Kenyon College and a JD from Stanford University Law School. moreless

Nicholas’ Newsfeed

Global Policy Watch

Artificial Intelligence and Algorithms in the Next Congress

Nicholas Xenakis and Brendan Parets look at how the increased the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence have prompted a closer look from Congress, which, they say, could lead to more legislative action.

Nicholas’ Background

Covington & Burling LLP

Special Counsel

Sep 2021 - Present

Washington, DC, USA

Covington & Burling LLP is a leading law firm specializing in public policy, content creation and distribution, cybersecurity, insurance claims, intellectual property, media disputes and white collar investigations.

The Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein

Chief Counsel

Jan 2021 - Sep 2021

Washington, DC, USA

Nick served as Chief Counsel to Senator Dianne Feinstein. She is the senior US Senator representing California, a position she has held since 1992.

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Media

Podcast: Inside Look at Jackson Hearings from Senate Counsel

Podcast Guest

Mar 2022

Nick joins Bloomberg's Cases and Controversies podcast to give a glimpse into internal process and to share what can be expected in Judge Jackson's confirmation hearings.

Covington's policy team adds ex-Senate Judiciary general counsel

Quoted

Sep 2021

Nick discusses his decision to join Covington's public policy team in Washington, D.C., and how eager he is to be a part of the world of technology consulting.

Publications

U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee To Consider Legislation On Unfair Competition in App Market

Author

Feb 2022

In this blog post for Covington, Nick discusses the Senate Judiciary Committee’s meeting for the Open App Markets Act and the concerns surrounding the bill.

SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE VOTING ON ANTITRUST LEGISLATION

Author

Jan 2022

In this article, Nick examines the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's vote on the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, described as a controversial antitrust bill that would impact the ways in which online platforms treat goods and services on the platform relative to competing services.

Bar Admissions

New York State Bar Association

Member

New York, NY, USA

The New York State Bar Association seeks to promote the discipline of justice, advance legal reforms, enhance the values of integrity and dignity in the legal industry, and improve the administration of justice.

Nicholas’ Education

Stanford University Law School

Juris Doctor

2007 - 2010

Kenyon College

Bachelor of Arts

2001 - 2005